Review: Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker
It’s no secret that the Wild series by K.A. Tucker has been one of the greatest delights of 2020. My copy of The Simple Wild was my birthday gift to myself last year and I loved it so much. Then the sequel was released in February and I fell even more in love with this cast of characters based in rural Alaska.
After this year being * what it has been * it felt like such a gift to receive news that Tucker was writing a holiday novella for this series. It came just when I needed it and it was the perfect little slice of holiday magic (with some steam) to kick off my Christmas reading.
A huge thank you to Valentine PR and K.A. Tucker for my early copy of Forever Wild. While I did receive this book for free, all thoughts are my own. If you have not read The Simple Wild and Wild at Heart, this review may contain spoilers.
Synopsis: “The holiday season is upon Calla and Jonah, and with the mistletoe and gingerbread comes plenty of family drama. Jonah is bracing himself for two weeks with a stepfather he loathes, and while Calla is looking forward to her mother and Simon's arrival, she dreads the continued pressure to set a date for their wedding ... in Toronto. Add in one bullheaded neighbor's unintentional meddling and another cantankerous neighbor's own family strife, and Christmas in Trapper's Crossing will be anything but simple.” —From the publisher
What I Liked:
The holiday setting—I love Christmas and Christmas books so getting a “holiday special” from some of my favorite characters was the treat I needed this year. The Alaska K.A. Tucker describes is so beautiful and adding in a sprinkle of Christmas magic made it all the more appealing.
Calla’s continued growth—Calla is a character that gets a lot of flack, especially in the first book, from readers. While she definitely begins the series quite spoiled, I found that as the series progressed Calla grows and matures just as many of us do in our late 20’s. In this book we really get to see her step into her own and take pride in all she has accomplished since making this massive life change.
The growing cast of characters—It was so nice to meet Jonah’s family in this novella! Plus it’s always great to check in with Muriel, Agnes, Mabel, and the rest of the crew. I enjoyed Roy’s storyline as well and while his redemption arc can still ruffle some feathers, I think we get to witness the agony he’s endured over what he did in his past.
The references to Wren—The hardest part of Wild at Heart was feeling the loss of Wren. In this book, we see how each member of the family keeps Wren’s memory alive.
Simon—Simon is the best character. He is Calla’s rock and I love the support he provides her. What a beautiful representation of the relationship between step father and step daughter.
What Didn’t Work:
The pregnancy pressure—If I didn’t know and love Jonah, I would really bothered by the subtle pressure he places on Calla to get pregnant. In this novel, we see Calla questioned if she pregnant and Jonah announces that he wishes she was in front of their families. While they are partners so obviously discuss this, I just don’t think it’s appropriate for that kind of flippancy regarding pregnancy for the readers sake because fertility is such an individual experience.
TW/CW: Loss of a parent, snowstorm, missing person search, references to loss of child,
Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Rating: 2.5/5 Overall Rating: 5/5
I am so grateful for this gift this holiday season. if you love Calla and Jonah, you will not be disappointed by this novella, you’ll just wish it would last forever.
Reviews for: The Simple Wild, Wild at Heart